Thursday, August 1, 2019

From the Vault Blogs; E-Dawn 1: The First Recap

     I recently found out that the Earthdawn Compendium that had all my old recaps is gone. So I present the first recap done in a newsletter format I ever did way back in the day when Yahoo! Groups was a thing back in 2004. Presented with minor editing. I'll be putting up an archive blog each day as I put up a RPGaDay blog article.


E-Dawn Volume 1: January 2004 Edition
Mawag and Holiday Newsletter

Spoiler Alert: The following journal contains some spoilers pertaining to the FASA adventure Blades.


Blades Adventure #3: A Traitor's Fate

After an extended trip through the jungles of Cara Fahd, and through the Delaris Mountains, we arrived in the Liaj Jungle, only to be “persuaded” by Jungle Griffins to go to a different location, deeper in the Liaj. Here we were put to sleep by a strange, goat like creature called Vetta, along with two other unfortunate adventurers. The newcomers were Shaq, an obsidiman Troubadour/Weaponsmith and Myth “The Riddler”, a madman who walked with a hunch as if he were a cave troll despite being human. While traveling in the Liaj Jungle, following the Seal of Truth to our destination, some strange creatures attacked us, the Tignatha, and Elarin was slain, but later revived by Willow's Last Chance spell.
The next day some Lightning Lizards appeared, tossing twinbolts around, but we defeated them, only to feel as if something or someone was watching or testing us. That night Willow mysteriously disappeared. The following day, most of us including myself were drawn in an eastward direction away from Drudge and the northward direction the Seal of Truth pointed to. As we did not go for the change of direction through illusionary magics away from their territory, the Tamers attacked in full force with surprise, their best poisons, and their beasts. We were eventually overcome and forced to surrender. Somehow Myth escaped and followed the Tamers to their base camp. He attempted to set a fire to the main tent but was spotted and killed. 
Meanwhile, we were tied to stakes in some bizarre sacrificial ritual to Usun, Green Dragon and self-proclaimed ruler of the Liaj. The Tamers tortured Willow, her right arm cut to ribbons all the way to the bone marrow, and bleeding even more than usual. That night, terrifying screams were heard in the distance and soon most of the Tamers left the camp to investigate. We saw our chance to escape and thus broke free of the ropes or wiggled out of them, reacquired our gear in the pile near the now cold campfire, and went to investigate what was going on. They found the leader of the Tamers lying next to a slain Tamer a Blade of Cara Fahd in hand, and Betrayers laughter echoing in our heads. The Tamer leader attempted to kill herself realizing what she had done under Betrayer’s control, stabbing herself in the stomach. Drudge finished her off, reacquiring the Blade and thanked Betrayer for his “help”.
The next day we traveled even further north to the tomb of the traitor of Cara Fahd’s Protectors. After entering the tomb, the spirit of the traitor emerged, refusing to give us his name, we bargained with him, the spirit trying to persuade us to burn his bones to get the name. The Seal of Truth in the presence of such lies melted completely away. The spirit became enraged and attacked us and we fended it off, it returning to its pile of bones. A medallion was found in the marshy bog as well as the traitor's bones. The traitor's name was Kragen Overtall, and we scattered his bones to the four winds.

-From the Journal of Lilandra Silvertongue Rua 28-Mawag 14 TH 1517.

Blades Adventure #4: With an Axe in Hand

Upon leaving the Liaj Jungle and going east to the Tylon Mountains, Willow left, saying she could only be fully healed of her illness by returning to the Blood Wood. The next day, we stumbled upon a horror-destroyed town and Rthda started looting the place, and then set the village aflame. A strange one-armed man came up to us. His name was Lakcaj, and he sought the horror who had destroyed his village and took his right arm. Shaq convinced Rthda to take him with us and take care of him since he destroyed his home. V’Dor forced the Jackal to mark him by beating Lakcaj senseless, thus gaining a horror mark to use to track the horror. We then continued on our way to the Tylon Mountains.
At the Tylon Mountains, we found a cave and rested, leaving a message in Obsidimen for some Purifiers. Three days later the Purifiers came and talked to Luke and he convinced them to lead us to the Tylon Mountain Liferock. While traveling the next day, some merchants heading to Jerris were met, but quickly scarred away by Lakcaj who showed them his right arm, sliced off and stored in his backpack! Lakcaj was then told of the horror moving south away from the party by V'Dor and started to leave. Rthda then hired Thrynn and Falchion to kill Lakcaj, which they did for a measly 50 silver pieces each. V’Dor and Zim, bows in hand, had been ready to kill him to keep "quarantine".
We next visited the village of Smallstream, stopping briefly to swap stories and share a meal. On the next day of travel, a band of troll mercenaries called “Trolls for Hire” were met. The leader of the band was named Gustibius, a name that seemed familiar somehow to me. The trolls, on granlains and most bearing full plate armor and troll swords certainly looked tough, telling the party that they were on route to Cara Fahd, guarding an ork merchant named Bogadan Tuskhammer to Urkula from Kratas. The trolls warned of the orks and blood elves filling the streets of Kratas with blood in their racially and politically charged conflict.
The next day, we arrived at the village of Ridge, where a bunch of Ice Flyers were raiding the fish pens used to store food for the village. We drove them off, and Elarin spent the night fishing for more food for the village. We earned the gratitude of the troll leader of the village; Trawet and he let us stay the night and shared what little food they had with us. The party then met a wandering sage, a person named Zibna who had stopped for some water at a tiny stream. We approached him and asked what he was doing here. Zibna replied he sought Drudge to help him find a Book of Prophesies stolen from the land of Cathay of his birth, a powerful grimoire perhaps or a tome of long forgotten writings, with certainty, Zibna knew it had been stolen by a group of assassins who had killed his master and taken the book. The party knowing that Cathay is near Runwood, immediately met him with suspicion and asked what he could possibly do to help them in exchange for their help. The sage was puzzled by this having thought of Drudge and his companions as do-gooders from our reputation, and looked on in silence, dumbfounded. Unfortunately, Zibna did not understand that his mission would never take precedence over our quest to uncurse the Blades and save the nation of Cara Fahd nor our mission to save Barsaive from Theran occupation. We soon left Zibna and he followed on his horse, and made a small camp that night near the party’s camp. Rthda took offense and decided to do something about Zibna, but Drudge intervened saying that he would not condone the taking of a life in cold blood when he had done nothing wrong except stay near a powerful group of adepts in the hinterlands near Kratas, perhaps a wise move considering the circumstances. The next day, a group of griffins and k’stulaami Beastmasters and Cavalrymen of the Theran Seventh Legion attacked us, killing Zibna and Falchion, and nearly slaying Elarin and Shaq as well. We continued traveling to a village, but our guides said that parties with an obsidimen will be met with anger and suspicion, regaling the party with tales about how the tainted Liferock released its obsidimen upon the town killing many villagers.
The next day, we met a madman afraid of threading, who told the party about black shapes in the skies above and to flee or die. When threading was mentioned of his stick and stone, he fled in terror. We turned north, to a mountain trail leading into the Tylon Mts. The obsidimen then proceeded to leave, warning Shaq about the dangers of the corrupted Liferock and the Blades, Luke thanking them for their aid, and we camped. The next day, a Journeyman from Kratas came asking to travel with us and learn new talents from Willow and Thrynn; he was surprised that Willow wasn’t there. The “necro-warrior” joined us and we continued up the mountain trail to a cave, with a giant blue and white rock in the middle with markings saying Rokkaku or “Secret Rock” on it. When Shaq neared the rock, 8 corrupted obsidimen came out of the Liferock and assaulted the party, killing Elarin, who recovered as a blood charm blackened and came out from his body miraculously. We further investigated the cave finding an obsidiman in a weakened and unconscious state and a letter from the Blades of Cara Fahd. We removed the obsidiman and allowed him to awaken in three day. He told us his name was Asmerius and the name of his Liferock "Ashivinam", before rejoining his Liferock for the final time.
                We then traveled to Daiche and were met at the gates by Blood Elves who screamed out “Death to the Orks!” and attacked the party, trying to kill Gertrude and Ela...

-From the Journal of Lilandra Silvertongue Mawag 15-Raquas 2 TH 1517.

War Recap
                After temporarily allying and attacking the K’tenshin on the Tylon River combined with a merchant vessel of House T’kambras and a few Scavian Barges, Vistrosh and Jorvin Torgin returned to their blood feud, and the streets of Kratas ran red with blood. The fighting has even spilled into Daiche…House K’tenshin has sent all available ships to assault and take Daiche and should arrive in about a week’s time. The combined navy at Daiche’s port continues repair and resupply in the hopes of staving off the K’tenshin advance.

                Theran Seventh Legion troops advance on Darranis from Bartertown and occupy the city, taking the vital northern Coil River for themselves. Theran Seventh and Eighth Legions attack southeastern and northern Cara Fahd, and start to encircle the orks. The southeastern based Seventh Legion is surprised by the ferocity of some of the ork attacks in the region and fails to take many of that months objectives; however the northern front of the Eighth Legion makes good progress. Theran Navy refits their airships at the Theran Behemoth and Sky Point.

                Captain Stetgarth narrowly avoids ork and blood elf bandits and Iopos assassins on his return to Bartertown. Upon seeing the destruction of Bartertown (And possible destruction of Throal), he and his remaining men stage a furious charge against the Theran garrison remaining their and the Questors of Dis. Captain Stetgarth’s whole unit is annihilated, but most of the Therans are killed.

                House V’strimon refits its warships and repairs damage to the Syrtisian Behemoth. The Slayers make a daring plan to aid the war effort...

                Travar is evacuated in full as a horror army overruns the city. The residents retreat to Urupa. Moltaa’s Grim Legionnaires and the heroic sacrifice by Linnarg Blindingshout staved off the assault just long enough to get most of the remaining citizens out. It’s said Linnarg fought the horrors on the Sky Tower’s steps for as long as possible, retreating to the very top of the steps, giving ground but still fighting as many Horrors advanced, allowing Moltaa and her crew to escape with many citizens of Travar and adepts part of the last stand/rescue effort.

                Jerris attacked? Apparently Iopos forces have captured Jerris from within, said a merchant observer fleeing the battles in northwest Barsaive.

Rumors

                A black cloud has started appearing in the Throal mountains where Mount Horrorsbane used to be. No I’m not making this up!

                A large black form was spotted in central Barsaive in the Travar region. No confirmation of what it is, many believe it to be the ghost airship Earthdawn.

                There is a tropical region in the Throal Mountains featuring stormy weather, a bunch of storm wolves were heard howling in the distance and we left soon after.

Holiday News

                The five-day holiday between Gahmil and Raquas was certainly muted this year, as the war efforts turned against us. Many tournaments were cancelled. The big winner at the tournament in House V’strimon this year was a human named Rahl Mageblade. His brother Thorin also made a strong showing.

-Sorvenia, dwarf Traveled Scholar, and leading Throal scholar on assignment at House V’strimon. Raquas 1 TH 1517.

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